Collar supporting means



Feb. 28, 1939. J. w. STEELE COLLAR, SUPPORTING MEANS Filed June 1, 1937INVENTOR: -.f.V1 Stee/e, 1| u A TTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,149,192. COLLARSUPPORTING MEANS James W. Steele, Kansas City,-Mo.

Application June ,1, 1937, Serial No. 145,665

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to collar supporting devices for use bylaunderies and like establishments as a temporary means for supportingand reinforcing the collars of garments, and aims to provide an improvedsupporting device of this character for preserving the proper outline orcontour of the collars from the time they are finished or laundereduntil they are delivered to the customer.

Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide an improvedsupporting device which will serve to embrace and reinforce the collarby a bracing engagement'against both. the inner and outer faces of theneckband of the collar and also have provision for gripping engagementwith the upper corners of the collar at the meeting ends of the same soas to hold said front corners securely in position while also concealingthe gap between the collar ends.

As one practical and economical form of device embodying the invention Ihave devised a support which may be cut inexpensively from suitablesheet material to provide portions for appropriate supporting engagementwith the inner and outer faces of the neckband-of the collar, and alsoprovide such a construction of the connection between the inner andouter portions of the support as to constitute a collar retaining meansfor retaining engagement with the upper front corners of the collarwhereby these and the meeting endsof the collar are held firmly inposition, with a neat and attractive appearance being thus imparted tothe finished shirt.

With the foregoing general object in view the invention will now bedescribed by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating asuitable form of embodiment of the present improvements, after whichthose features and combinations deemed to be novel will be particularlyset forth and claimed.

In the drawing-- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a shirt havingits collar portion fitted with a collar support constructed inaccordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the improved collar supporting device;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a blank stamped as required for producing theimproved form of collar support; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view.

Referring now to thedrawing in detail, the improved device isillustrated as constructed from suitable flexible material, such as afair grade of cardboard, which is appropriately stamped and slit toproduce collar neckband engaging portions, including a main rear portion4 for embracing the inside face of the neckband portion 5 of the collar6, and a front portion 1 for engaging the outer face of said neckband,and also a connecting portion 8 between said front and rear portions atthe meeting ends of the collar.

The provision of such front and rear portions, with a flexibleconnecting portion, of cardboard or like material, is in the mainsimilar to the form of support shown in my Patent No. 1,879,918, datedSeptember 27, 1932.

In the present construction, however, the outline of each of the cuts orslits l0 (Figure 3) is such as to produce curved edges l2 and 12' whichin practice are not exact continuations of the same curve, butpreferably segments of arcs from different centers, so that while theedges l2 extend substantially flush with the crease or fold line H ofthe collar, when the device is inserted as illustrated in Figure 1 (thepart 4 being a little wider than the part I for this purpose), the edgesIQ of the part 1 coming between the collar folds and being curveddownward instead of upward as is the case with the edges l2, present twohigh points l5 and Hi coming into engagement with said fold line l4.Moreover, the connecting portion 8 between the parts 4 and l is creasedor scored along a substantially straight line I! connecting the innerends of the slits l0; and these cuts or slits l0 terminate in shortangular cuts l8 to form approximately triangular wings or tabs 20 forprojecting over the corresponding upper corners of the collar at itsmeeting ends, as clearly illustrated in Figure 1.

The method of using the improved collar support will be readilyunderstood by reference to Figure 1, the device being inserted inposition by applying the same to the collar portion of the garment so asto insert the ends of the portion 1 beneath the points of the collar andthen thrusting the said portion 1 up far enough between the collar foldsto cause its upper edges l2 to conform approximately with the crease orfold line H, while at the same time bringing the wings or tabs 20 to theoutside of the collar, which results in the front edges of the collarpoints extending through the horizontal portions of the angular cuts l8,as shown. In this connection it may also be stated that the use of thedevice contemplates the need of no other fastening means at the meetingends of the collar.

The rear collar supporting portion 1 is then simply turned back insidethe collar, as permitted by the flexible connecting portion I and itsscore line H, thereby bringingsaid portion 4 into engagement with theinner face of the neckband portion 5 of the collar, and leaving the tabs20 outside the collar and in position for retaining engagement with theupper corners of the meeting ends of the collar.

In this connection it may be explained that the horizontal portions ofthe angular cuts ll are of such length as to span the average width ofthe thickened edge portion 22 of the collar, as represented by thedistance between the collar edge and the adjacent seam 24; thistherefore locates the points IS in position for snug engagement insidethe fold or crease line H and against said thickened portions 22, whichthereby form shoulders for abutting engagement with said points i5.Hence, when the part 4 is turned back inside the collar, and therebysqueezes the wing or tab elements 20 against the outside of the uppercollar corners, a combined gripping and locking action is produced bythe gripping of said tabs 20 against said collar corners and thus inturn retaining the points IS in their shouldered and locking relation tothe edges of said thickened portions, whereby the front portions of thecollar are securely held in their proper shape after finishing. Thismoreover imparts a neat and trim appearance to the front of the collar,with the meeting end portions.of the neckband fold of the collarconcealed from view. With the improved support thus assembled, as shown,the shirt can be subjected to all the necessary handling following thefinishing operation without any serious likelihood of the supportbecoming dilqdged or releasing its grip on the ends of the collar.

It will therefore be apparent that I have provided a practical andeflicient device having desirable features of improvement over theconstruction shown in my previously patented device above referred to,and having all the collar reinforcing advantages aiforded by saidpatent, i. e., double supporting means for bracing and reiniorcingengagement with both the outer and inner faces of the neckband portionof the coi lar. In addition, however, the construction as hereindescribed provides a one-piece device including shoulders or abuttingmeans for effective retaining engagement with the upper front corners ofthe collar by the novel method above explained, besides serving thefurther function of closing the gap between the upper collar corners andconcealing the meeting end portions of the neckband fold-while holdingall of the parts together in proper finished relation after the devicehas been applied in position by the operator. The device is moreoverconvenient for use and adapted, with very little experience, to beapplied into its proper position by the operator as she completes thefinishing operation on the garment.

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as thepreferred form of construction for embodying the proposed features ofimprovement, modifications are of course possible within the essentialscope of the invention; as, for example, the supporting member 1 mayunder some circumstances be employed independently of the supportingmember 4 and ;the.. latter member omitted entirely with a correspondingsaving of material in cases where the laundry operator does not requirethe double form of support; accordingly, I desire to be understood asexpressly reserving the right to make whatever changes or modificationsmay be fairly deemed to fall within the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A collar supporting device for collar-attached garments comprising, acollar supporting member embracing the inner neck-engaging face of theneck fold of the collar, a second supporting and holding member forinsertion between the folds of the collar and connected with said firstmember at the front ends of the collar, the upper edge portion of saidsecond member being formed with shoulders seated in the fold line of thecollar for abutting engagement inside the thickened portions of the seamlines along the front edges of the collar, and wing or tab elementsforming a part of the connection between said members and continuouslyconnected throughout their upper edges with the upper edge 01' saidfirst member, said wing or tab elements extending in position forholding the upper front corners of the collar in retained engagementagainst said shoulders.

2. Collar supporting and holding means for collar-attached garmentscomprising, a collar supporting and holding member for insertion betweenthe inner and outer folds of the collar and having its upper edgeportion formed with shoulders spaced apart a distance just suflicient tospan the distance between the seam lines along the front edges of thecollar for abutting engagement against the edges of the thickened seamportions adjacent to said front collar edges and thereby preventing anyspreading movement of said edges, and wing or tab elements extending inposition for holding the upper front corners of the collar in retainedengagement against said shoulders.

3. Collar supporting and holding means, comprising an elongated memberhaving slots extending longitudinally thereof and dividing said memberinto two sections connected together by a central interconnectingportion of a length sufficient to extend partly over the front ends ofthe outer collar fold, one of said sections having slots on each side ofsaid interconnecting portion and in angular relation to said first slotsfor providing corners on one of the sections adapted to be slid betweenthe collar folds into contact with the junction or fold line of thecollar, the other section of said elongated member adapted to be foldeddown inside the collar and thereby cause said interconnecting portion topress the outer collar fold into intimate binding engagement with saidcorners of said first section. V

4. Collar supporting and holding means for collar-attached garments,comprising an elongated member for insertion between the inner and outerfolds of the collar and having pointed corner elements for engagementwith the crease or told line between said inner and outer folds of thecollar, and a second elongated member adapted to be folded down insidethe collar and secured to said first member by a central interconnectingportion extending partly over the front ends of the outer collar foldand having a length suflicient to slightly more thampan the distancebetween the seam lines, of the-front edges of the collar, whereby thefolding of said second member down inside the collar will pro duce abinding or gripping action between said interconnecting portion and saidcorner elements of said first member.

JAMES W. STEELE.

